Not Alone
by LastCorsair
Summary: Weiss Schnee has broken from her family and made her way to Mistral. But can she rebuild a broken bond? A touch of Checkmate shipping.
1. Us, Again?

Weiss stepped through the front door of the rented house where her friends were staying. She was exhausted and in need of a shower, but there was something she needed to do first.

"Weiss!" Ruby yelled, jumping up to give her a hug. "You're here! After your dad dragged you back to Atlas, I didn't know if we'd ever see you again." Ruby stepped back, sniffing. "Guess it's been a rough journey, huh?"

"You have no idea. Who's here?"

"Blake and her parents won't be back for a while. Ghira had a meeting, coordinating support from Menagerie. Some of the Mistral council are still leery of accepting their help, so he's having to be extra diplomatic. Yang is in the garage, working on her motorcycle. Jaune, Ren, and Nora are sparring out back. You know about Oscar, right?" Weiss nodded. "Okay, then. I'll give you the Lien tour after you clean up."

Weiss didn't know if she was relieved or not. "That sounds excellent. Which way to the shower? And is there coffee?"

"It's pretty much the water of life around here. Even Qrow is drinking that more often than he's drunk these days. I'll make a fresh pot. And find you something else to wear while we wash that."

An hour later, Weiss felt herself again. Freed from the gilded cage her family had become, she could focus on Weiss, not Weiss Schnee, but simply Weiss. Now to see if she could carry something unspeakably precious forward from the past.

Voices at the door drew made her look up. Ghira, Kali, and Blake had returned. "And look who's here! Weiss!" Ruby shouted.

Weiss stood and bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Belladonna, Mrs. Belladonna."

"We're glad to see you. Given what's going on, we can use all the allies we can get. And how's your family?"

She looked aside. "After he took me back to Atlas, my father made me a prisoner, and my brother was helping him. I escaped and made my way to Mistral. Ran into Qrow and he directed me here." Weiss looked at them again, but her eyes were focused on Blake. "So I come to you with nothing, really. Well, except the briefcase full of Lien I helped myself to on the way out."

Ghira rested a hand on her shoulder. "Don't sell yourself short. From everything I've heard, you're a capable Huntress and a solid ally, both of which we need. Blake, show her to a room. I'm going to go work out some aggravation in the practice ring."

The room Blake showed her to was small and spartan. A small bed, dresser, desk, and an uncomfortable-looking chair. To Weiss it felt like a palace. "Sorry, it's not much. We're getting a bit crowded here, with everyone showing up. Did... did Ruby explain Oscar to you?"

"Qrow did. Well, sort of. He was somewhat drunk when I ran into him. Oscar has Ozpin's soul in his head, and he's cursed for not defeating someone called Salem who's behind all this?"

"Best get the whole story from them yourself, then. I'll leave you to get settled." Blake turned to go, but Weiss reached out and laid a hand on her arm. This moment was what Weiss had come here for if she had to be honest with herself. "Blake... we need to talk. About us."

"Weiss, I-"

"You left. You left me alone." Weiss sat on the bed, staring at Blake. "You said I wasn't alone, not anymore. And then you ran away again."

"I couldn't-I didn't want to drag you into my mess."

"After you left, I felt lost. When my father came, I didn't have the strength to fight him. And he dragged me back to Atlas, tried to make me his princess in a gilded cage again. It... didn't work. I wasn't that person anymore." Weiss stood, taking Blake's hand in hers, meeting Blake's eyes. "I won't go back there again. I can't; I don't fit anymore. But I want... us again. This time without all the hiding, everything out in the open. It was foolish and selfish of me to insist we keep our relationship a secret. I was... trying to have you, without losing the comfort of my family, and my selfishness blinded me to how much you meant to me. I'm sorry."

Blake was silent for what seemed like an eternity. Then, "I don't know if I can, Weiss. I'm afraid I'll run away again, and I don't want to hurt you a second time. You mean a lot to me too."

" _You are not alone_. Remember what we said, to each other that night in the rose garden? 'I am your sword and shield, I will stand by your side to my last breath, that you may live to draw another.' This time, if you run, I'll be running with you."

"The Oath of Blades." Blake smiled. It was an old Hunstman's oath, sworn between two partners who had decided to spend their life together, fighting side by side.

"Yes. You know, that oath used to be taken more seriously than marriage. In effect, partners who swore that oath had married themselves to each other."

Blake paled and started to pull away, her ears folding flat on her head. "Uh..." Weiss chuckled and gripped her hand tighter, just enough to make her pause a moment. "Don't worry, I won't hold you to that. Unless and until we swear it again, with witnesses this time. But I reserve the right to _earn_ the honor of standing by your side again."

Blake's ears flicked in amusement. "And how do you mean to do that, Weiss?"

Weiss grinned and stepped over to the window, opening it. "For starters, would you do me the honor of going out on a date with me? I need to go shopping, and I'm fairly certain we might find sharing a meal enjoyable."

Blake moved next to her, smiling wistfully. At Beacon, her time with Weiss had been rare and precious, time stolen from classes or training. A chance to step back from the stress they were under, with someone who seemed to understand the guilt she carried better than anyone else did. Things were different now. Could it still work? Without really thinking about it, she wrapped an arm around Weiss. Weiss hesitated a moment, then put her arm around Blake, leaning into her. Blake sighed as she realized she'd made her decision without really thinking about it. "I missed this." she murmured.

"Me too."

"Blake! Weiss!" Yang yelled from the hallway. "Lunch is ready! Ruby made stir-fry."

Weiss blinked. "Ruby can cook?"

"Sort of. Stir-fry is her best dish, and it's easy for her to make enough for everyone. Yang's chili, on the other hand, is delicious but you pay for it afterward." Blake took a deep breath and decided to take the plunge. "So, lunch out or lunch in? Your choice."

"Out, definitely. I want some time alone with you before we face everyone. And there's a handy window to make our exit." Blake's jaw dropped, and Weiss grinned again. "Blake Belladonna, don't tell me you've never left through the window? Let's go."

* * *

After lunch, Sun Wukong went out roof-running. His combat style depended on high mobility, and obstacle courses were okay, but nothing could compare to the unpredictability of leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Mistral's roofs were a challenge he was coming to enjoy.

He frowned and skidded to a stop as a stray thought broke his concentration. It had been odd for Blake and Weiss to both skip out like that. Weiss he could get, but Blake really liked Ruby's stir-fry. Maybe the two of them had skipped out to do girl stuff together? He didn't think they were besties like that, but you never knew. He crouched down at the edge of the roof, scanning the plaza in front of him and the buildings around it, planning his route. Something familiar caught his eye and he looked closer. There they were. Weiss and Blake were sitting on the patio of a cafe, laughing and talking, shopping bags piled around them. Maybe he could join them, offer to carry stuff, or at least carry some of it home while they went on. Score some points with Blake. He started to stand, then froze. Weiss had just leaned forward and kissed Blake. Not no friend kiss on the cheek, but on the lips, and it looked like Blake was returning the favor.

Sun laid back on the roof, slamming his fist down. Damn. He'd always figured Blake was out of his league, but he had to try, you know? She was just so gorgeous and awesome. So what was he gonna do?

Nah, no question about it. He had no chance with Blake now. Sun Wukong was a goofball, but even he knew it would be a pretty jerkass move to try to break them up just so he could make a move on Blake. And he just wasn't that guy.

Sun rolled to his feet. No more roof-running today, his focus was gone. Back to their base. Maybe Ruby would spar with him for a while. That huge scythe of hers was tough for him to handle, it'd make for a good challenge.

* * *

That night, Ghira frowned and looked around the living room. "Blake and Weiss still aren't back? I'm starting to worry."

Kali laid a hand on his arm. "Dear, I'm sure they're fine. They're both capable Huntresses."

Sun glanced over from where he was sitting next to Ruby. "Uh, I think they went shopping? I saw them when I was out roof-running."

"Did they say when they would be back?"

"I, uh, didn't talk to them. They had lots of bags of stuff and I didn't want to end up carrying it. Plus it looked like they were doing some serious catching-up, you know? Didn't want to interrupt."

Ruby stopped field-stripping Crescent Rose. Something in his voice... She leaned over and whispered in Sun's ear. He nodded and whispered back in her ear. "I'm sure they're fine," Ruby said as she went back to work. Crescent Rose was a complicated weapon and took a lot of work to keep in peak fighting condition.

Ghira growled and stalked towards Ruby. "Young lady, if you know something..."

Ruby shook her head. "It's not mine to tell."

"If something happens to them-"

"You'll what?" Blake and Weiss stood in the doorway. "I can look after myself, dad."

"I was just worried about you. Having you back after being gone for so long, I didn't want to lose you again."

"I went on a date with my girlfriend. No big deal. Come on, Weiss, let's get this put away."

Ghira sat down and went back to reading reports. A few minutes later he looked up, surprise on his face. "Girlfriend?"

Ruby giggled. She knew she shouldn't, but with the look on his face she couldn't keep it in. "Took you long enough."

Upstairs, Blake and Weiss barely made it into Weiss's room before they burst out laughing. "I can't believe you said it like that! I know we said we weren't hiding anymore, but spitting it out like that-" Weiss collapsed on the bed, banging her head on the wall. "Ow," she muttered, rubbing the sore spot.

"Sorry the bed's so small."

"It's not your fault I took so long finding you. I'm just glad I'm here with you now. Speaking of which," Weiss paused, looking at Blake, "I think it's best for now if we have separate rooms. To give everyone time to adjust."

Blake shrugged. "Ren and Nora share a room, nobody said anything. She just followed him in when he picked a room."

There was a knock at the door. "Blake, Weiss, can I come in?" Ruby leaned up against the doorframe. "Blake's dad is freaking out, so you might want to give him some time to calm down. I don't think he's mad, just really surprised. And I'm glad you two have decided to be open about things now. I could tell it was killing you before."

Blake's eyes went wide. "Ruby-how-when-you knew?"

"Yup. Since Beacon, not long after the dance. I caught you making out in the library. Decided it wasn't my business. Even covered for you a few times." A muffled "WHAT?!" came from downstairs. "Sounds like somebody just told Yang. I'll go play damage control, you two stay here."

Ruby stepped into the living room. Ghira was pacing the floor, arguing with Kali. Yang was sitting in a chair, a bottle on the table in front of her and a glass in her hand. Sun looked terrified to move. Jaune, Nora, and Ren had various looks of shock on their face. Oscar had that look on his face he always got when they were talking to themselves. Ruby took a deep breath, then shouted, "What in the world is going on here? Yes, it's a bit of a surprise, but it's their business, not ours, and you"-pointing at Ghira-" need to remember something. Yes, Blake's your daughter, but she's her own person! If you don't back off and let her live her own life, you will lose her again! Just like Weiss's father lost her. And you"-this time her finger found Yang"-aren't allowed to break out that bottle unless you're sharing! So pour me one too!"

"Little young for that, aren't you, Ruby?" Qrow smirked from the corner.

"Shut. Up."

"It is rather ironic that Ruby is being the voice of reason, given she's the youngest one in the room," Ren remarked. After Oscar cleared his throat, Ren amended that to "Second youngest."

"Indeed." Oscar's voice had that weird echoey tone that meant Ozpin was speaking. "And while this does change the team dynamic, our mission remains clear. We can't let this distract us. Miss Rose, as the leader of Team RWBY, will you please let Ms. Schnee know that starting tomorrow, she'll be expected to begin training with us? I can't imagine her father permitting much of it while she was in his custody."

Ruby knocked back a healthy gulp of her drink, then coughed. "Gah, what are you drinking Yang, engine degreaser? Yeah, no problem, Professor."

Kali poked Ghira in the chest. "From the mouths of babes. And before you talk to our daughter about this, I want you to remember what _my_ father thought about _you_. 'He'll break you in half!' is a direct quote."

Jaune looked at Ghira and Kali, noted the size difference between them, and shuddered. "Yang, pour me a double. I need some brain bleach after that."

It was like pulling the pin on a grenade. Silence descended on the room for a moment, then Ghira laughed. "Yes, he didn't like me very much, did he? Thought I was too ambitious, not a good match for you." Taking Kali in his arms, he looked down at her. "But it's worked out for us. I still think I got the better end of things. You keep me grounded, remind me of what really matters. And I won't pretend I don't have doubts about Blake's choice. But as Ruby reminds us, it's her choice to make."

* * *

Ozpin hadn't been kidding about the training. Bright and oh-my-gods-early he'd started putting Weiss through her paces, having her spar against everyone except Blake in punishing bouts. Even Qrow and Ozpin (via Oscar) had stepped into the ring with her. When Ozpin called their bout done, Weiss was breathing hard and barely standing. But she was still standing. When Weiss had arrived at Beacon, this much training would have floored her. Now she stood staring at him, wondering what was next.

"Well done, Miss Schnee. You've managed to stay in fighting form better than I would have hoped. Endurance still remains a challenge for you, but it's still better than your arrival at Beacon. And now Miss Belladonna, if you will step into the ring. You fight well alongside each other, now let us see how you fare against each other."

Blake stepped in, Gambol Shroud in hand. "Can you handle this?"

Weiss brought Myrtenaster to a ready position. "That's not the real question, the question is"-she lunged at Blake, an easily deflected strike-"can _you_ handle your girlfriend kicking your ass?"

Blake deflected it and came around for an overhand blow. "Oh, is that how we're going to play it? Fine."

The two of them went back and forth for a few minutes, then Ozpin interjected, "She's playing for time, Miss Belladonna, time to recover her strength. You must push her harder." Blake nodded and called upon her Semblance, leaving a shadow clone behind her to take Weiss's strike as she jinked to the left.

Except Weiss didn't fall for it. She whirled around the shadow clone and came around for a strike at where Blake was going to be. Blake brought Gambol Shroud up to block barely in time. "How'd you know where I was going to be?"

"I watched your feet. You've got a real tell when you're about to do that, and which way you're going to go."

Ozpin slurped his coffee. "Good, Miss Schnee, using your familiarity with your opponent to your advantage. Although I would suggest not keeping something like that from an ally in the future."

Blake grimaced and flipped backward, leaving a shadow clone in her place, then jumping two more times and leaving clones behind. Weiss sighed. "I still know which one is you."

She brought Myrtenaster up before her face and closed her eyes in concentration. Blake's brow furrowed. What was Weiss doing? Then Weiss brought Myrtenaster to a ready position. "And now I finish this." Blake caught movement out of the corner of her eye a fraction of a second too late to dodge. The armor gigas Weiss had called behind her backhanded her, sending her sprawling. Before Blake could hop back up, Weiss had leaped on top of her. "Yield?"

"Yield. That's a new trick, calling the gigas."

"I finally mastered it while I was father's prisoner. It's saved my life once already. And to the victor go the spoils." She leaned forward to kiss Blake.

"Uh, guys, you do remember we're all right here, don't you? Including Blake's parents?" Yang called, laughing. Blake spared a hand to make an obscene gesture in Yang's direction. "Yeah, get a room!" Ruby chimed in. Other comments ensued; Ghira just facepalmed.

Weiss climbed off Blake, laughing and dusting herself off. "You're still bright red, Blake. You'd think nobody ever kissed you before."

"Not with that much of an audience," Blake grumbled.

"I'm sorry, I'll try to restrain myself in the future."

"Please do." Everyone turned to look as Winter Schnee stepped into the backyard. "If nothing else, it might distract you while someone who intended you harm snuck up on you, instead of your older sister. Weiss, we need to talk."

Weiss folded her arms and glowered at her sister. "I'm right here, start talking."

"Father is looking for you." Before Weiss could protest, Winter continued. "I'm not here on his behalf, I'm just warning you that he's looking. Tycho Caine was sitting in my quarters when I woke up this morning. I was less than amused. He told me that Father was looking for you and that if I reported your location, Father would 'make it worth the trouble.' But I haven't seen you, so what would I have to report?"

Weiss sighed. It was too much to think she could hide forever, she supposed. "Thank you, Winter. I... escaped Father, and made my way here. I don't want anything to do with him anymore. Clean break, we go our separate ways."

"Then we exiles will keep each other company." There was a twinkle in Winter's eyes as she turned toward Blake. "Do try to keep my sister out of trouble. I tried to teach her better, but she still runs towards the fight. Takes after our grandfather, I suppose."

After Winter had left, Weiss sighed. "You have got to be _kitten_ me."

Yang gaped. Weiss, _puns_? "Oh come on, it's not a _cat_ -astrophe!"

"No, no, we're really in trouble _meow_."

"Weiss..." Blake glared at her soon-to-be-dead girlfriend.

"Sorry, it just sort of _pup_ -err, popped out. If Tycho Caine is looking for me, that's bad news. He's Father's pet monster. No morals, does exactly as he's ordered."

"What'll he do if he finds you?"

"Not if, when. And that depends on what his orders are. He's smart enough to know when his original orders can't be made to work, and when to ask for new instructions."

"Another wrinkle in the situation." Ozpin pondered for a moment. "Well, there's not much that can be done except to keep an eye out for this Caine fellow. In any case, Miss Schnee, your combat skills are still at the level they were at Beacon. Their technical quality has not faltered, and you've added more improvisation and flexibility, which is good. Plus you've mastered another ability that's part of the Schnee heritage. Your endurance has faltered a bit, but that can be brought up to par quickly, I hope. In any case, I must rest and give young Oscar back his body for a while." He slumped, and then Oscar was looking out at them. "Sorry for letting him tire you out like that, but he said it was necessary."

Wess reached out and ruffled his hair. "It's okay. From what I hear, this has to be extra hard on you."

"Hard enough for me not to get sent to bed when the booze comes out?"

Ruby snickered. "Keep trying, kid."

* * *

Later that evening, Blake answered a knock at the door. The man that stood there was so nondescript he set off alarm bells. Nobody was that un-memorable unless they tried to be. "Miss Belladonna? My name is Tycho Caine. I have a message for Miss Schnee."

"She's not here." Blake started to shut the door, but Caine put his hand in the way. "Please, Miss Belladonna, I mean no harm, but I have my orders. I have a message to deliver. Allow me to deliver it, and I will be on my way."

"I'm right here." Weiss stood at the top of the stairs, arms crossed. "Deliver you 'message' and leave." Caine's eyes turned towards Blake, and Weiss sniffed. "Anything you say to me, you can say to her. I have no secrets from her."

"Indeed. I observed your relationship with Miss Belladonna before deciding how to approach you. Very well. First, as long as you don't make trouble for him, your father is content to leave you be for now. Second, he would like to establish a line of communication, if either of you feels the need to contact the other. You are under no obligation to use it, or answer should he contact you. Third, a question: Is your mission here related to the Fall of Beacon?"

Weiss's grip tightened on Myrtenaster. "It is."

Caine nodded. "I will so inform him. If I may offer a personal observation? I do not feel you were ever cut out to be what your father wishes you to be. You have a warrior's spirit, that of a guardian and protector. Good evening, Miss Schnee, Miss Belladonna. I will return when I have Mr. Schnee's response."

Blake slumped up against the door after he'd left. "That was creepy. I almost drew on him when I answered the door."

"Now you see why I called him Father's pet monster." Weiss slumped next to Blake, shivering. "That last bit really disturbed me. It's the first thing I've ever heard out of him that made me think there might be an actual human being in there. That question, though... it makes me wonder. What does Father know about Beacon?"

"I wonder as well." Ozpin was standing at the top of the stairs. "My apologies, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. Your father was never privy to the truth about the Maidens and the Academies; we deemed his ambition too dangerous. But he does have considerable intelligence assets of his own, and he may know things we do not. I think it's time I let General Ironwood in on my... change. Of those we trust, and who already know at least part of the truth, he's the best placed to observe your father, and pass him further information if it's appropriate."

Blake blinked. "Ironwood doesn't already know?"

"James already knows most of the truth, just not about me. As Headmaster of the Atlas Academy, it's past time I brought him up to speed. But in the morning. Good evening."

Blake and Weiss sat there for a while, leaning against each other. "I am exhausted," Weis murmured. "But it feels good to be home again."

"Home? I thought that was in Atlas."

"Not anymore. What Caine said is true. I'm not the perfect little princess my father wants. It's not enough for me to hone my skills. I want, I _need_ to use them, to help people. If... certain things hadn't happened, I think I would have enrolled in the Atlas Academy. Ironwood made it clear that I had a place there, if I wanted it. Or Shade Academy, if I thought I could get that far from my father."

Blake shivered. Weiss wouldn't talk about it, but something had happened between her and her father to push her over the edge into running away, something bad. "I'm glad you're here. Weiss... stay with me, tonight?"

Weiss froze, then giggled. "And here I was trying to work up the nerve to ask _you_ to stay with _me!"_

"My bed's bigger."

"A very valid point. Your offer is accepted, Miss Belladonna."

"Why thank you, Miss Schnee."


	2. Demons In the Night

_**(Author's note: I listen to a lot of music while I'm writing, if you're curious I repeatedly listened to the Carmilla theme song while writing this chapter.)**_

 _ **There & Then (Beacon Academy, shortly before the events of Season 2, Episode 7, "Dance Dance Infiltration)**_

It was no use. Weiss couldn't concentrate on her studying. Every time she tried to focus, her mind kept going back to the dream she'd had last night. Weiss rarely remembered her dreams beyond vague images, but this one had been very... vivid. And decidedly erotic, if she had to be honest with herself. The worst part had been the subject of the dream. Seriously considering _that_ would be a distraction from the Plan. And the Plan was what kept her moving forward, driving herself to excellence. The Plan was her best hope. She repeated that to herself again and again, but it wasn't helping.

"Something wrong, Weiss?" Ruby looked up from her history book. "You've been jittery all day."

"N-nothing is wrong, Ruby. I am merely having trouble concentrating on my studies." Weiss closed her book and stood. "I think I'll go to the library. Maybe I will be able to concentrate better there."

Inside the library, Weiss let herself wander. She didn't have somewhere specific in mind to study, so she wandered here and there, trying to find somewhere she could study undisturbed.

Weiss stopped, cursing where her traitorous subconscious had led her. Since its original construction, the library had undergone several renovations. One consequence of this were pockets in the building that were not normally accessible but could be reached with a bit of ingenuity. Blake had claimed one of these nooks for her own, turning it into a private spot to get away from everything. And Weiss now stood precisely where a Semblance-enhanced leap granted access to it.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, repeating to herself that her Plan was her best hope for her goal. _Eyes on the prize, Weiss, eyes on the prize. Remember what's at stake here._

Weiss didn't even realize she'd spoken out loud until Blake peered out of the entrance to the nook at her. "Weiss, come on up."

Weiss shook her head. "I don't want to disturb you, I was just looking for a quiet spot to study."

"Doesn't get much quieter than up here. And I could use the company. Please?" Blake added, smiling.

 _Bad idea, Weiss._ But she'd been specifically requested, hadn't she? And she had to be able to hold herself together around Blake for the rest of her time at Beacon. Weiss gripped Myrtenaster's hilt and leaped upward, landing in the entrance to the nook with ease.

Blake was just settling down on one of the bench seats under the bay window, one of the trashy romance novels she favored in her lap. "I'd offer you something to drink, but all I have the fixings for is tea." The bow that hid Blake's cat ears twitched, making Weiss stop.

"Your bow... " Weiss whispered.

Blake looked up at Weiss, frowning. "What about it?"

"Take it off."

"Excuse me?"

"Take. Off. Your bow. Please," Weiss added. _This is a very, very bad idea._

"Well, since it's just the two of us, and you've already seen what's underneath," Blake reached up and pulled one of the ribbons that made up her bow. Shaking out her hair and wiggling her cat ears, she looked at Weiss. "Satisfied?"

This was even worse than she'd feared. The sight of Blake without the bow lit oh-so-perfectly by the fading afternoon sun, brought the dream to mind again. Weiss backed up against the wall, stammering, "Nonono, this is bad. I can't-I won't-"

Blake rose, looking at her with concern. "Is something wrong, Weiss? You've seen my ears before."

"Everything's going wrong! Everything! My plan, everything I've worked for for _years_ is slipping away from me, and it's all because of you!"

"Weiss, what plan? What did I do?"

"Nothing! Everything! You didn't do anything but be yourself. And that's the problem!" Weiss was shouting now, panic rising in her voice.

"Weiss, you're not making sense. And stop shouting, you'll draw attention. Please, you have to explain."

"Why did you have to be you? Why couldn't you be different? Then I wouldn't have this problem," Weiss sobbed, collapsing and flailing against Blake. "Why couldn't you be different?"

Blake wrapped her arms around Weiss as she continued softly, "I have a plan. Its goal is escaping my father's influence forever. Being able to live my life as I see fit. I have spent years carefully planning every step towards that goal. And there is absolutely _no room_ in the plan for how I feel about you."

"How you feel about me? Weiss, I thought we were friends, teammates, how could that affect this plan of yours?"

"Over the past several days, I have become very aware that I am attracted to you." Blake stiffened as Weiss continued on. "In point of fact, I find myself more attracted to you than anyone else I have ever met. And that attraction constitutes a significant distraction from my plan."

"You... _like_ me?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?"

"I... I don't know what to say, Weiss. That's kind of a shock."

"It's not your problem, Blake, it's mine. I will... just have to ignore it."

"Really, Weiss? You think you can just tell someone you like them, but you're going to ignore it?" Blake stepped away from Weiss, spreading her arms wide and giving Weiss a challenging look. "So tell me what just went through your mind at that moment."

"Now that's just cruel."

"Telling someone you like them but you're going to ignore it is cruel. I thought better of you than that."

"I'm not being cruel, I just-"

"And then there's the other thing. Can you hold it together through all four years at Beacon? Why don't you want to indulge this... attraction? What's stopping you? I thought you were up for a challenge." Blake dropped down on the bench seat, elbows on her knees, mug in her hands, gazing down into it like an oracle seeking a sign from the gods. "Please, talk to me. I need to understand." She looked up at Weiss, pleading in her eyes.

Sighing, Weiss sat down on the other bench seat, as far from Blake as she could get. "I... don't know if I can explain it. I've... never shared this with anyone before."

"I won't tell anyone. And we have plenty of fixings for tea."

"I prefer coffee."

"I'll see what I can do about that for next time."

"N-next time?"

Blake scooted over and put an arm around Weiss. "Next time is next time. Now begin at the beginning."

Slowly, hesitantly, Weiss began to tell her story. "My father has always been... distant. And mother... mother has been a stranger since I was very young. I never really felt my father's approval, only his disapproval when I disappointed him. Which was often. So I grew to hate my father. I wanted to leave, get as far away from them as I could.

"Then Winter... showed me the way. She started sneaking out, disappearing for hours at a time. She was learning to be a Huntress, gaining the skills she would need to enroll at Atlas Academy. Father was furious and demanded she stop at once. Winter relented, but only so far as to insist on being allowed to demonstrate her skills in front of General Ironwood. It would be Ironwood's decision on whether or not Winter would be allowed to apply to Atlas. Not father's. Father agreed, thinking that Ironwood wouldn't dare defy him.

"Ironwood was impressed. So impressed that he decided to bypass the placement tests Winter would normally have had to take since she didn't attend a formal school before Atlas, and directly enroll her. I'm pretty sure the fact that it made Father furious didn't hurt. That was the beginning of the break between my father and General Ironwood.

"Before she left, Winter said a single word to me. 'Grandfather,' she said, and it was there my own plan began. I studied Nicholas Schnee, learned of the Huntsman he had been, and the Semblance that is the Schnee heritage."

"Your semblance is pretty baddass, Weiss." Blake murmured.

"I haven't mastered all of the Schnee legacy yet. Yet. But armed with that knowledge, I went to Father. It took time, but I convinced him that having a Huntress in the family could only add to the Schnee name, that when I was fully trained, I would be able to blaze new trails like Grandfather had, and bring new profits for the company. I... lied to him, told him that I felt Winter's mistake had been to train in secret. I convinced him that I felt the better course would be for me to enroll in a primary combat school, and train there before moving on to Atlas."

"Pretty daring, if you ask me."

"I was thirteen, scared _shitless_ , and already knew that whatever life my father wanted for me, I didn't want anything to do with it. At first, he resisted, but I wore him down. He relented, so long as I kept up all my other studies to his standards. For four years I was the perfect little princess by day, diligent, obedient, everything he wanted. By night, I was planning my escape.

"Then came the second big lie of my plan. I told him that I felt Ironwood's influence was too strong at Atlas Academy, that such an excellent student as myself was likely to be pressured to join the Atlas military, and discriminated against if I refused. I told him that for the purposes we had in mind, Beacon was a better school. Just as prestigious as Atlas Academy, and immune to Ironwood's influence.

"It wasn't Ironwood's influence I meant to escape, but Father's. My plan was to graduate Beacon with as high honors as I could, and then leave Father and the monster he's turned my grandfather's company into as far behind as I could. Become so renowned a Huntress that he didn't dare touch me."

"So that bitchy princess act when we met..."

"Was just that, an act. I'm sorry."

Blake grinned and twitched her ears, sending a shiver down Weiss's spine. "Don't be. You fooled everyone, and you dropped it pretty fast after that night on the docks. We like the Weiss we've come to know. Now tell me about this plan of yours, I'm sure there's more."

"I've been studying Hunters and Huntresses, analyzing them in terms of financial success. It's not just about helping people, to keep doing it you have to make money at it, and I wanted to know how. Plus I've been siphoning money off the allowance Father gives me, investing some of it and stashing the rest of it away to support me while I establish myself."

Blake nodded. "Sounds like a good plan. So where do I not fit into this?"

"For now, I need Father's support. I need as much of his money as I can get before I make my break. My dream plan is to graduate at the top of my class, give the appropriate speech, and then disappear before he can drag me back to Atlas. Send a one-word message via scroll, just 'Goodbye,' and drop my scroll in a trashcan. Get a new one, clean, that he doesn't know about, and board an airship to my first job as a full-time huntress. If he finds out I'm in a... relationship he doesn't approve of, he can pull his support, including the money, maybe even drag me back to Atlas. And, well, you're a woman, and a, a..."

"Faunus isn't a dirty word, Weiss, any more than human is. It's just what I am. Weiss, how do you feel about Faunus, not how your father feels, but you."

"I grew up hating the White Fang, and by extension, Faunus. I blamed them for what my father had become. But I've... reexamined that recently, and found it to be less than valid. Yes, the White Fang is a terrorist organization, but that doesn't make all Faunus bad people, not even all the ones that are in the White Fang. So from now on, I'm going to try to take each person I meet on their own merits."

"There's that real Weiss we know again. So," Blake scooted away from Weiss, arranging herself so she could look directly at her, "if your father's approval wasn't a factor, what would you have done once you realized how attracted you were to me?"

"Uh..." Weiss faltered. She hadn't planned for this. "Ask you out on a date, maybe? I've never had a relationship before."

"So do that."

"I-I can't."

"Why not?" Blake put her hand on top Weiss's. "Weiss, you've got your demons, and I have mine. That doesn't mean we can't face our demons together." She looked out into the deepening twilight. "I've... had a relationship before. It was... bad, left me feeling rather worthless, like I didn't deserve to be happy. But being here, with friends, has made me happy. And then, when you said you liked me but didn't want to be with me..."

Tears began to roll down Weiss's face. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Blake, I just, I have to escape my father. I need to be away from him, as far as I can go."

"Then let me help. Weiss, you're my teammate and my friend." She smiled, a small, encouraging sort of smile. "I've got no reason to give a damn what your father wants, so to hell with him. My friend, Weiss, needs help. I... know a few tricks the White Fang uses to hide money. It might improve your odds. And maybe you could use a shoulder to cry on from time to time." Blake's smile shifted into a wicked grin. "If it helps, imagine your father's reaction to the stories about Weiss Schnee, world-renowned Huntress, _and her Faunus partner_." Weiss froze, blushing bright red. It was kind of cute, actually. "What?"

"I-I-"

"Go on."

"W-when you said that I heard a couple of different versions of it in my head. Versions that used words like g-g-girlfriend, and w-w-wife."

Blake started to giggle, then stopped herself. "Getting a little ahead of ourselves, aren't we?"

"I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay." Blake took a deep breath. Weiss was in free-fall, maybe she needed to be shown she could fly, no the word Blake needed was _soar_. "Weiss, if you want, I'm willing to... explore... us. We can even be discrete until graduation if you want. I'm not even sure I'm ready for a relationship yet, after... Adam. Or we can be open about us, and just keep me being a Faunus a secret. But regardless, I want to help you. You are my friend. And you are not alone, not anymore. You have friends, teammates. Who knows, maybe Ruby and Yang would help too." She stood and gestured expansively at their little nook. "I hereby decree this Blake and Weiss's Grand Conspiratorium. Here we shall conspire to free you, the fair maiden, from durance vile. Here Weiss Schnee can set aside the Schnee name, and the obligations thereunto, and be only Weiss. So shall it be."

Weiss giggled. That was a good sign. "Why are you being so understanding about this?"

"That's what friends are for, silly."

"I am not silly!"

"Maybe a little bit. Now, what do you say?"

"I..." Weiss trailed off. "Tell me about him." She looked up at Blake. "Tell me about your time with Adam. Please."

Blake turned away, wrapping her arms around herself. "I'm not sure I can."

Weiss stood, laying a hand on Blake's shoulder. "You're not alone either, Blake. We dragged my demons out into the light, now it's time for yours."

Blake turned and poured another cup of tea, pressing it into Weiss's hands. "Here." "But-" "You want my story, you drink my tea."

They sat, sipping tea in the growing darkness until Blake spoke. "I've told you I was raised outside the Kingdoms, and that's true, but not the entire truth. I was raised in Menagerie. My family's quite prominent there, actually."

"Oh?"

Blake sighed. No avoiding this. "My father is Ghira Belladonna, current Chieftan of Menagerie, and High Leader of the White Fang before Sienna Khan."

"That's... very different than you led us to believe."

"I know. I'm sorry. I... don't feel like I belong there, anymore. After what I did... My father and I argued about the White Fang, about what Sienna Khan was doing. She was the one who turned the White Fang towards violence. And I... agreed with her. It might not have been pretty, but it was getting results. Humans were taking the Faunus seriously for the first time. So I ran away from home and joined the White Fang. I started training and proved myself as a real fighter, not a common foot soldier.

"That's when they partnered me with Adam. He wasn't as... prominent as he was then, or as violent. Or so I told myself. I'm not sure if he became more violent, or if he just let it show, or something of both. But for a time, we were partners. And then... he pushed us into becoming more. He... claimed me, started calling me his love. It was, intoxicating, captivating. And I... gave myself over to him, body and soul." Blake shivered. Thinking about her time with Adam gave her chills.

"And then...?" Weiss prompted, sipping her tea.

"And then, one day, I realized that who he wanted me to be wasn't who I was. I was... fighting myself to be with him. I left him, left the White Fang, only saying 'Goodbye' and not giving him a chance to respond."

"He didn't chase you?'

"I'm sure he's still looking, but I gave him something to distract him at the time. An entire trainful of Dust. Sorry."

Weiss grinned. "Don't be. If that's the theft I'm thinking of, right before we arrived at Beacon, Father was furious for days. I loved it. Of course, I had to hide it in my excitement about enrolling at Beacon. What?"

"I don't think I've seen you grin like that before. I like it."

"You... you make me smile, Blake."

It was Blake's turn to blush. "Then speak the magic words, o fairest of fair maidens, and seal our pact and be done!"

"You-you think I'm pretty?"

"Not just pretty, but wonderful. Weiss, look at where you started and where you are. It would have been easy to actually become that rich bitch persona you put on. Instead, you've overcome every obstacle your father could put in front of you to come here." Blake gestured out the window at Beacon. "This is your doing, Weiss. This is your victory. In your heart, in here," she reached out and poked Weiss in the chest, "you have already won. All that remains is the revelation of that victory."

Weiss laid her hand on Blake's. "I must say that I like this side of you. Very different from the angsty, moody Blake we always see."

"I, uh..."

"Don't worry. It'll be our secret." It was Weiss's turn to gaze down into her tea. "Blake, I like you. You make me feel... content. Would you go out on a date with me? Even if we must conspire by moonlight to be together?"

Blake was silent for a moment, considering half a dozen responses. Then: "Yes."

Wiess smiled. "Then let's go over my plan, and we'll see if two can escape their demons as well as one." She pulled a different scroll than usual from her ammo pouch, this one plain but rugged-looking.

Blake was impressed by how thorough Weiss had been. The money wasn't in one account with her name on it, instead, it was in different anonymous numbered accounts that could be accessed anywhere in the Kingdoms. When Blake pointed out that this left out Menagerie, Weiss made a note to look into making the funds available there as well. Shell companies 'owned' the investments, and those were split up too. Multiple firms, with some handling a lot of investment in one area, and others holding a diversified portfolio. "My name has to be on the paperwork somewhere for the investments, otherwise no firm worth doing business with will touch it. The best firms like knowing who they're doing business with, even when it's shady. All those business classes Father insisted on are going to bite him on the ass, hard. There's almost half a million Lien already, and more by the time I graduate."

"This isn't that shady, though."

"No, nothing illegal, just hidden. Smoke and mirrors, Blake. I don't need to take everything with me when I go, just most of it. Let him chase my tail. He won't catch me."

Blake leaned over to look behind Weiss. "Nope, no tail. Cute butt, but no tail."

Weiss blushed. "Blake, if you keep that up..."

"You'll do what? Come on, I dare you! Do your worst!"

Weiss looked slyly Blake, then launched herself at Blake without warning. Caught off-guard, Blake tumbled off the bench seat, Weiss falling with her. The two of them struggled for a few moments, but Weiss had the advantage. They ended up with Blake pinned under Weiss, their faces inches apart. "Now what?" Weiss breathed.

"Whatever you want." Weiss froze, turning bright red. Blake laughed. "Relax, I'm teasing. I don't think we're ready for..."

"Intimacy? No, I-I suppose that would be premature." Weiss rolled off her, and Blake could see Weiss vanishing behind the mask again. She sat up and wrapped an arm around Weiss. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't tease like that."

"It's not that. It's... I had a dream about you last night."

"What sort of dream?" Weiss gave her a look that said, _What kind do you_ think _it was?_ and it was Blake's turn to blush. "I don't know what to say."

"Isn't that where we started this?" Weiss glanced at the time on the scroll and groaned. "It's past two in the morning, and we have a test tomorrow. I'm gonna bomb."

"You won't bomb. Your biggest problem is you overdo everything. Relax. If you prepared well, last-minute cramming isn't going to help much. But we'd better sneak out of the library and into our dorm rooms. A little sleep is better than none."

They stood and looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Weiss spoke first. "Before... before we leave, I want one thing. May I kiss you? Just the once."

Blake nodded and bent down to kiss Weiss. It was different than when Adam had kissed her. That had been him marking her as his. With Weiss, it was two equals coming together, sharing something she couldn't quite define. When they pulled back, Blake felt a shiver down her spine, and she could see a silly grin on Weiss's face. Then it was gone, the mask back in place, if a bit cracked in places.

As they crept into their dorm room, Ruby sleepily raised her head. "Where have you two been? It's really late."

"We fell asleep in the library. Had to sneak out to avoid security," Weiss murmured as she changed into her nightgown.

"Why did you have to tell her that? It's embarrassing! I was going to say we were clubbing in town," Blake teased.

Weiss sniffed. "As if _I_ would be caught dead in such a place." She turned her head slightly and winked at Blake, mouthing the words _Maybe a date?_

"If both of you don't Shut Up right now, I'm throwing both of you out of here. Through the window," Ruby muttered, her pillow jammed over her head.

Blake put her hand over her mouth stifling a giggle. This was going to be hard, keeping it from Yang and Ruby. Maybe they could tell them before graduation? She slid into bed with barely a whisper, then turned to look at Weiss. Who would have thought the ice princess Weiss Schnee would turn out to be so... rebellious?

Weiss was looking back at her, frowning. She tapped the top of her head. _Bow,_ Weiss mouthed. Blake reached up and stiffened. She'd forgotten to put her bow back in place. Blake sighed and fixed the bow that hid her cat ears back in place. _Thanks_ she mouthed back at Weiss and settled down to sleep.


	3. Enlightened Self-Interest

Blake stirred. She was all tangled up something, and she forced an eye open. _Oh. Weiss._ Blake smiled sleepily. This was the first time they'd been able to share a bed (falling asleep together in their library hideaway didn't count, in Blake's opinion), and Blake had found comfort in Weiss's presence, a comfort she hadn't known she needed until it was there.

Blake sighed in contentment and snuggled into Weiss. Weiss stirred a little and one eye slid open just enough. "Morning," Weiss whispered.

"Morning. You get clingy in your sleep."

"I do not!" Weiss managed to whisper and sound mock-indignant at the same time. "That would be undignified, and I am never undignified."

"Shall I demonstrate how undignified you can be, Miss Schnee?" Blake purred as her hand slid down Weiss's back.

"Don't you dare!"

"Hey, Blake!" Yang opened the door and started to stick her head in. "It's your-"

Without even thinking about it, Weiss grabbed the first thing that came to hand and pitched it at her blonde teammate. "Owww!" Yang yelped, retreating after the offending object caught her square on the forehead.

"I think she was reminding me it's my turn to cook breakfast," Blake sighed, sitting up.

"So much for a morning in bed," Weiss growled. "And I think she took my shoe with her."

When the two of them reached the kitchen, Yang was sitting at the breakfast bar, a cup of coffee in one hand and the other resting next to the errant shoe. As Weiss reached out to reclaim her missing footwear, Yang pulled it just out of reach. "Nice aim. Caught me square in the face."

"Knocking is a thing, Yang."

"She's got you there," Blake interjected as she started pulling things out to cook.

"Should have locked the door," Yang grumbled.

"Shouldn't have barged in, sis," Ruby chimed in as she poured her own cup of coffee.

Yang shoved the shoe towards Weiss. "Here. I'm sorry for barging in."

"Apology accepted." After taking a moment to put her shoe on, Weiss sat down next to Yang and started tapping away at her scroll. Yang glanced at the screen and saw nothing but numbers. Boring. "What's so fascinating?"

"Deliverance."

"Huh?"

"How's that doing?" Blake tossed over her shoulder.

"Our net worth is just under two hundred thousand. We took a big hit after the Fall of Beacon, but other things are making up for it."

Yang looked from Blake to Weiss and back again. "Is either of you going to explain that?"

Weiss looked at Blake, who nodded. "Deliverance is... was... part of my escape plan. Everything from my combat training to my enrollment at Beacon was part of a plan, the end result of which was to escape my father's influence forever. Deliverance is the financial aspect. Hidden accounts and investments, intended to support me until I was an established Huntress."

Ruby couldn't stop herself, the pain she could hear in Weiss's voice forced the question out of her. "How long... when did you start planning this escape?"

"I was thirteen when I started," Weiss sniffed, tears welling in her eyes.

Yang grabbed Weiss in a hug. "Hey, you've got all of us now. We've got your back." Ruby piled on with an "Absofragginlutely," and Blake laughed, menacing the sisters with a spatula. "Hands off you two, she's mine."

"Blood doesn't make family. Family makes family." Sun spoke up from the far end of the breakfast bar. "What, it's true, isn't it?"

"Just a deeper thought than we'd normally expect from you, " Yang remarked as she reclaimed her coffee cup. "Hey, Weiss, seriously, we're here for you. We're your friends and teammates. And if your dad shows up to try and drag you back with him again, I'll break his arm."

"I prefer breaking legs!" Nora crowed as she bounced into the living room, "What's for breakfast? Pancakes?"

"Omelets," Blake responded as she started chopping vegetables.

"Aww, I wanted pancakes."

"Nora, you always want pancakes. That's why Ren always fixes them for you. So I'm fixing omelets for Weiss."

"Oh, that's right, you two are officially together now. So glad you're not hiding it anymore, I mean I thought it was so romantic, the hidden, forbidden love, but it seemed to make you so sad too. I don't know if it was worse when you were together or apart, I really don't-"

Blake stopped in mid-chop. "You knew?"

"I saw you making out in your room one day. Really should have made sure the door shut or something. I put one of my socks on the doorknob so nobody would disturb you."

Ruby lost it, laughing so hard she almost fell out of her chair. "So that was you! We figured it was a prank since at the time I didn't know the two of you were together. Caused a bit of a fight, Nora."

Nora looked crestfallen then perked up as Ren walked into the room. "Ren, Blake won't fix me pancakes. She's fixing omelets because Weiss likes them."

"People do things like that when they're together, Nora."

Weiss put away her scroll and moved to help Blake in the kitchen. After a few moments, Ozpin remarked quietly to Ruby, "Watch Miss Belladonna and Miss Schnee, Miss Rose. Notice something missing? Something they don't do?"

Ruby watched for a couple of minutes, then shook her head. "Nope, not seeing it. They're just cooking. I mean, they're touching each other, but it's all normal in-public couple stuff."

"They don't get in each other's way. At all. And I'd be willing to bet Weiss hasn't been in that kitchen yet, but notice that. Blake turned toward a cabinet, but before she reached it, Weiss reached up and pulled out what Blake wanted without a word."

Ruby nodded. "I see that. And now that you mention it, I saw it a lot yesterday. So they've got this couple communication thing going, no big."

"On the contrary, Miss Rose. Normally this level of nonverbal communication is seen only in couples that have been together a long time, decades at least. Blake and Weiss were together less than a year at Beacon, and are still rebuilding that bond, however well that seems to be going."

"Actually, we got together right before the dance. And it's rude to talk about people behind their back, Professor," Blake glared at Ozpin as she set a plate down in front of Sun. "Care to let the rest of us in on what you're thinking?"

"My apologies, Miss Belladonna. I forgot how good your hearing is." Ozpin stood and stepped closer to the kitchen. "Sometimes, two individuals' Auras can become... synchronized, if you will, intertwined. They develop a subliminal awareness of each other, knowing where the other is and a general sense of what they're doing. Sometimes they even know what the other needs them to do at that moment without a word being said. Has either of you ever done something in combat, without knowing why only to find that it was what the other needed at that moment?"

Weiss nodded. "Yeah. I've tossed up glyphs out of reflex only to have them be exactly where Blake needed them to be. For Ruby and Yang, I have to think about it. What does it mean, Professor?"

"Nothing, other than you will work better with each other than others. Partners with this sort of bond make some of the best teams. And before the thought crosses your mind, no this bond does not explain your personal relationship. The two bonds are in parallel, neither one being a consequence of the other."

 _That's not entirely true, Professor. I can tell when you're lying,_ Oscar whispered.

 _Hush. I'm not lying, exactly. Their relationship is not a consequence of the bond, more the other way around. It's possible that they would have formed such a bond eventually, but I think their feelings for each other helped things along._

"Okay, okay, wait a minute." Sun looked up from his plate. "You went to the dance with _me_ even though you were already with Weiss?"

"We weren't really together yet, Sun. Weiss had told me how she felt, but I hadn't answered. She took me by surprise. And there were reasons to keep it to ourselves."

"Oh yeah? Like what? I thought we were friends, Blake. I even thought you kinda liked me."

"It was my fault," Weiss whispered. "I couldn't risk my father finding out about us. If he knew I was involved with a woman, much less a _Faunus_ woman? He would have been furious. And I wasn't yet ready to make my escape. I needed his money for as long as possible, until graduation day if I could manage it. I'm sorry, Sun."

"Nah, it's okay. I'm not super-mad, but Blake shoulda let me know I didn't have a shot. I forgive her totally though, this omelet is great. I don't know what the grey bits are, but they're awesome."

"Mushrooms.'

"But I hate mushrooms! Well, maybe I like them in omelets."

* * *

"Alright, James, what's all this about? What's with all the cloak and dagger nonsense? I'm a very busy man, and I don't like it when people waste my time." Jacques Schnee adjusted his collar and scowled at possibly the second most powerful man in Atlas. Possibly, because in most people's minds it was a toss-up whether that honor would go to James Ironwood or Jaques Schnee. Jacques wasn't most people; in his mind, there was no question that he held more power than Ironwood.

"I know exactly how busy you've been, Jacques. You've been asking questions about the Fall of Beacon, and that's why you're here. You know some things, and you're getting close to real answers. So certain people are asking if you can be trusted with the whole truth. Drink, Jacques? Or you, Whitley?" Ironwood pulled a bottle and three glasses from a cabinet.

"Hmm." Whitley pondered. "Aren't I a little young?"

"Your father brought you, so you're involved. And in my mind, that entitles you to a drink. Considering what your father's been sniffing around, you may want it before we're done. I'm going to give you one and only one warning. This is the point of no return. If we continue, and in the end, I decide either one of you can't be trusted, you'll have to disappear. We can't have people we can't trust walking around with this information in their heads."

Jacques slammed his fist down on the table. "Now see here, Ironwood! What in the hell is that supposed to mean? You can't just threaten me like that!"

"It means exactly what I said. This information is too sensitive. If it got out to the general public, there'd be a panic. And we can't have a panic. That's one thing we can't afford. And I Jacques, you know I don't make threats. I state facts."

Whitley reached out and picked up his glass, taking a small sip. He gave it a puzzled look before he spoke. "I'd like to ask one question, before we continue, General." Ironwood nodded, and Whitley continued. "Is this related to the reasons behind the Fall of Beacon? And the cause to which my sister Weiss has sworn herself?"

Jacques scowled. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Because unlike you, Father, I don't just read the executive summaries of the reports that cross your desk, I read the whole report. There are things that don't add up, events that are out of place, gaps in the record. Your answer, General?"

"That's two questions, Whitley, but the answer is the same: Yes."

"Then I want to know more, even if Father does not."

"Whitley-"

"He has the right, Jacques. There are no bystanders in this. We are all at risk."

"Fine. I'll hear you out." Jacque frowned at Whitley. Was his son developing an independent streak, like his sisters had? Best to watch that.

They listened for hours as Ironwood explained about Salem, the Maidens, the Artifacts, everything. Well, almost everything. He held back the truth about Ozpin for the time being until he was sure they could be trusted. "And that's it, gentlemen. I trust now that you understand the reason for secrecy?"

"That's... a lot to consider, James. But the reasons behind some of the things you've done are certainly a lot clearer. I need to think about this."

Ironwood shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't give you that time. We can't afford to. I need an answer now."

"I'm in." Both of the older men turned to look at Whitley in surprise. "That is the expression, isn't it? As Ironwood said, there are no bystanders in this. I don't think I can be much help, but I'll do what I can."

"Whitley-" Jacques growled.

"Father, it's just good business to join their cause. Based on what happened at Beacon, I can't imagine that Salem and her allies have anything good planned for us if they win. Armies can do a lot, but Huntsmen have their place too. Think of them as commando teams if that helps."

Ironwood nodded grimly. "No, I can't say we'd enjoy a world where Salem won very much at all if we even lived to see it. What do you say, Jacques?"

"Betrayed by all three of my children, I have lost before the battle is begun. Very well, you have my support as well."

"Good." Ironwood steadied himself. This next part was going to be... tricky. "One of the first things you can do to help is easing off on some of your... harsher policies towards Faunus. I know that officially you treat your Faunus and human employees the same, but we both know there's a difference between official policy and what actually happens."

"What? Why?"

"It pulls support from the White Fang. If Faunus workers are better treated, they're less likely to support the White Fang. Maybe make a public donation to Faunus rights groups, too. I've got some to suggest that are 'cleaner' as far as ties to the White Fang are concerned. After the Fall of Beacon, they're losing a lot of their support; let's see if we can accelerate the process."

Jacques nodded. "I understand. I've got a few senior people I can... throw to the wolves, so to speak, to lend weight to the measures."

"Good. The more senior, the better. As for you, Whitley, I think I've got just the task for you."

* * *

Blake smiled. She and Weiss were enjoying a break from training, doing some shopping for the expanding household. It was a not-date that coincidentally gave them some time to be alone.

Weiss stiffened for a moment, and Blake could almost feel one of Weiss's masks slipping into place. "Weiss?" she murmured, leaning into her.

"We're being followed. Half a street back, pink hair, shitty-looking brown and black jacket."

Blake nodded. She knew better than to look, or even to look without trying to be seen looking. One thing Weiss was good at was spotting someone following her. It probably came from trying to lose nosy reporters. "Plan?"

"Shock and awe, shock and awe." With that, Weiss turned in front of Blake, pulling her in for a kiss while looking behind them. "Now!" Weiss called a glyph under their feet, catapulting them into the air, Blake landing behind their tail, Weiss in front of him, trapping him with nowhere to go.

It worked flawlessly. The pink-haired boy was caught flat-footed as Weiss brought Myrtenaster up under his chin. "Talk. Why were you following us?"

"Am I so wrong to want to talk to my sister? Hello, Weiss." The boy pulled down his sunglasses and suddenly looked a lot more familiar.

"Whitley? What are you doing here? Don't tell me you ran away from home." Weiss snorted. "So Father's perfect little prince has a bit of real Schnee in him after all."

"Hardly. I'm still Father's favorite, and you and Winter are still disowned. I'm actually here on behalf of both Father and General Ironwood. Although explaining myself is something I'd rather not do on a busy street, especially with the attention that just drew."

"He's got a point, Weiss," Blake grinned as she put away Gambol Shroud.

"Yeah. Let's get him to the house." Inside, Weiss was cursing herself. Or more precisely, her choice of diversion tactic. What if Whitley told Father about that kiss? Her father's direct opposition could put everything in jeopardy. And she was still dead certain he wouldn't approve of her and Blake. When it was just the two of them on the line, that was a chance she could take, but the game was bigger now.

Sitting in their living room, Whitley accepted a cup of tea and scratched his head. "I'm going to have to find a different hair dye if I do this again. I think this one is giving me a rash."

"I don't care if your hair all falls out and your scalp erupts in boils. Explain yourself," Weiss growled.

Whitley sipped his tea while he arranged his thoughts. "A few days ago, General Ironwood had a long conversation with Father and I. He explained about the Maidens, the Relics, why the Huntsman academies are where they are, Salem, a lot of other things. He also threatened to have Father and I... disappear if he didn't think we could be trusted after that conversation. I agreed immediately, but Father took more convincing, which I was more than happy to help with."

"I find that hard to believe, Whitley. You've always been about saving your own skin."

"Exactly. Between what Ironwood told us, and some other reports Father has-and now Ironwood-I'm convinced that a victory by Salem's forces is a worst-case scenario. So I volunteered to help in any way I could. I was half-expecting a pat on the head, but Ironwood asked me to carry messages to you. One bad hair-dyeing later, a rebellious teenage boy was running away from home to visit an estranged sister."

"And this?" Yang held up a pistol she'd fished out of Whitley's backpack.

"A bit of misdirection. If anyone runs the serial number, they'll find it belongs to one of the security guards at Schnee Manor. Who dutifully reported it missing the day after I left. He'll be officially reprimanded, of course." Whitley paused as his scroll chimed. He pulled it out and looked at it, tapped out a quick message, then put it away.

"Hot date?" Weiss teased.

"A friend from an anonymous social network. I haven't heard from them since the Fall of Beacon. Since I'm in Mistral now, I guess we connected over the kingdom-wide network. In any case-" Whitley's scroll chimed again, but this time he ignored it, "-I have information and support from Father and Ironwood. Father sends logistical support. I have money for you, and information regarding a supply line for Dust and other material needs. If you need specific items, let me know, and I'll add them to the pipeline. Ironwood sends intelligence reports about White Fang activity in Mistral, as well as other things that may be of interest to you."

Ruby sipped her coffee and considered. From what Weiss had said about her brother, Whitley was a grade-A toad. Yet here he was, bearing support from an unexpected source. She decided it was probably safe to accept it for now, but not become dependant on it. "Well, I don't have the final say, but I think we can use all the help we can get. Salem and her allies have been at this for a long time, and Beacon kinda knocked our side for a loop. We can use all the help we can get. How long are you staying?"

"Just a couple of days. Long enough to maintain my cover, then Weiss can publicly hand me over to some Schnee Dust security people, who will haul me back to Atlas in disgrace. Father will be properly furious, and so forth." Whitley's scroll started chiming repeatedly. "This adventure has taught me I rather like a little danger, but Father thinks I'm a little young for this kind of work."

"Hey, you're not that much younger than me, " Ruby grinned.

"I turned fifteen last week. I know, I don't look it. Is there somewhere I can lay down for a while? I've been on the move for the last two days."

"We're all out of bedrooms. You may have to sleep on a couch," Weiss muttered.

"But-" Ruby started, then stopped.

Whitely glanced first at Blake, then Weiss. "Weiss, can we talk privately for a moment?"

"Fine," Weiss growled, then led Whitley out back to the practice ring.

"You seem very hostile to my presence. I assure you that my motivations here are sincere."

Weiss crossed her arms and snorted. "Given our history, Whitley, especially right before I left this last time, I highly doubt that. I don't trust you."

"Then trust my self-interest. Keeping you here means I inherit the company. Keeping you fighting Salem's forces means I'm more likely to live to inherit the company." He paused, then continued. "Weiss, I saw you kissing Miss Belladonna. That didn't look staged, or if it was, you certainly fooled me. I'm not going to ask what's between the two of you, and I'm not going to tell Father anything about it."

"That's... unexpected. What's your angle, Whitley?"

"Again, self-interest. I need you and Father both focused. You here, fighting Salem, and Father in Atlas, supporting everything. You might also check the news from home, especially about the company."

"Fine." Weiss glared at him for a moment, then relented. "Yes, Blake and I are... together. It's complicated. And I guess I can stay in Blake's room until you leave, so you don't have to sleep on the couch." Whitley's scroll chimed again, and she rolled her eyes. "Oh for crying out loud, answer your friend. That's really annoying. I'm going back inside."

Whitley sat down on a bench and pulled out his scroll. _Sorry about that,_ he typed. _I was talking to my sister._

VorpalRabbit's response was immediate. _Family, hey? You two patch things up?_

 _Sort of, but at least she's letting me stay a couple of days. Then it's back to Father I go._

 _Bummer. I was looking forward to talking to you again, Snowflake. Well, I'll be in Mistral City for a few days, so we can chat a bit till you leave._

Whitley chewed his lip. _Indeed,_ he sent back. _I'm in Mistral City with my sister as well._

They chatted back and forth a while, then Whitley put away his scroll and stood, stepping back into the living room. "Everything cool in nonexistent girlfriend land?" Yang teased.

Whitley bristled. "She _does_ exist, she's _not_ my girlfriend, and I'm not sure what business this is of yours in any case."

"Ease up, I was just teasing."

Weiss waggled a finger at Yang. "Whitley doesn't handle teasing well. Remember me when I arrived at Beacon, only worse. Ack, help!" she cried, laughing as Blake mercilessly attacked her ribs.

"They really do make an interesting couple," Whitley murmured as Ruby handed him back his cup of tea.

Ghira cleared his throat. "If I may have everyone's attention? The information Ironwood and Mr. Schnee sent is troubling. I haven't had a chance to read all of it yet, but what I've looked at so far indicates that the White Fang is pulling a lot of their troops and other resources out of Atlas. And I have a nasty idea where they're going."

"Mistral," Ruby sighed.

"Or Menagerie, yes." Ghira fixed his eyes on Whitley. "I see here that your father is considering funding a CCT tower in Menagerie as part of restoring the network. How serious is he about that?"

"I think he's fairly serious, but you can probably expect his support to come at a cost. He's been trying to establish operations in Menagerie for years. You may have to give him that."

"That's a matter for negotiation, and not completely up to me. We'll see what his offer is once it's official, but you can tell him I'm open to discussion."

"Well, I think one thing Father is taking seriously improving the company's relations with Faunus. Solstice Brom is currently facing Kingdom-level charges for his treatment of Faunus workers, and the investigation of the Penthiel mine collapse has been reopened again, with someone from outside the company heading it this time. Father picked one of his harshest critics, a Menthel Steil, right out of the audience at a press conference, and gave him full access, telling him, 'I want this thing sorted. You handle it.'"

"Steil? Oh, gods, he _hates_ Father. I want to watch this," Weiss giggled, making Whitley lose his train of thought. He just couldn't imagine either of his sisters doing something as undignified as giggling. Or kissing someone in public for that matter.

"I'll keep you updated. Moving on to other matters..."


	4. Miss Snow and Miss Shadow Step Out

It was the Saturday morning after her talk with Weiss in the library. Blake was in the dining hall, eating her usual light breakfast, a bagel with cream cheese and tea. The past few days had been... interesting to say the least. Now that she knew about Weiss's attraction to her, it was hard not to notice the changes in Weiss's behavior. Lingering looks, a tendency to sit where she could watch Blake out of the corner of her eye, sitting next to Blake when she could, small things. She shook her head. Her and Weiss were going to have to talk about that, otherwise, other people were going to notice.

Her scroll chimed, a message from Weiss. The day after the library, Weiss had introduced her to an encrypted chat client she used to manage the Deliverance accounts, as she called them. Blake smirked. Weiss's nickname on the chat was MissSnow, so Blake had taken the name of MissShadow. Weiss had criticised it as being a bit too obvious, but Blake had pointed out that hers was even worse. _Ready to go down the rabbit hole?_ the message read.

 _Down the...?_ Oh. Weiss was probably talking about bringing her in on the plan. _Yes_ , she sent back.

"Whatcha reading?" Ruby muttered around a mouthful of eggs.

"It's private, Ruby."

"Oooh, Blake's got a boyfriend," Yang teased.

"I do not have a boyfriend!" Blake hissed, then sighed. "It's just a friend from back home I've been talking to again, from before... you know."

"Oooh." Yang took a bite of sausage. "It's good, you having friends besides us. Say hi to them for me."

Another message from Weiss: _Meet me at the docking bay at your convenience. It's time for MissShadow and MissSnow to step out._ "I'll see you guys later, I'm going into town."

Weiss was waiting at the port. "Hey, Weiss, you heading to Vale?" 

"Indeed." Her hand rested on Myrtenaster's hilt. "I need a part that the student workshop doesn't have."

"Mind if I tag along? Mine takes some odd parts too, and I'm looking for a better source than the one I have."

"Alright. The shop I use is a bit far away, but their selection is excellent and they're very good about special orders. They'll even deliver to Beacon for free since we're students. I will warn you that they may be more expensive than the place you're currently using."

Blake winced. She was kind of tight on cash. Still... "Well, it doesn't do to be cheap with our weapons. And I'm willing to pay a bit more if it means getting what I need fast."

"Problem with your current supplier?"

"Three weeks for a freaking retaining pin, three weeks! I had to jury-rig something and baby Gambol Shroud until it arrived."

Weiss blinked. "You named your weapon?"

"Doesn't everyone?"

"It... just seems unlike you." They sat waiting for the airship for a few minutes until Weiss broke the silence. "Mine's named Myrtenaster. I didn't build it, I didn't have the skills when I started training. But I do the maintenance myself, and by the time I'm done here, I'll be able to build something better."

"Same here. It was built for me, a gift."

Blake and Weiss chatted about weapons for a while, until the airship arrived. "Apologies for the delay," the pilot said. "There was a security issue at the dock in Vale, so they had us locked down and we couldn't leave."

"So what's the plan for the day?" Blake muttered as they took their seats.

"First, the weapons shop. I really do need a part, and it made a good excuse for going into town. Then, we disappear. I'll explain that when we get there."

"Oh good. I wasn't kidding about the retaining pin either; it's always wearing out and I'd like some spares if I can get them."

"Sounds like a design flaw. Maybe you could have Ruby look at it? She built Crescent Rose after all, and she's good with weapons."

When they reached the weapon shop (named Bleeding Edge, of all things), Blake showed Gambol Shroud to the shopkeeper and explained the problem. "Yeah, there's not a lot of call for #19 retaining pins. Let me see here...I think a #17 might work just as well, and they're a regular stock item most places."

She frowned. "Is it going to be long enough? It looks shorter."

"Well, take this one with you today and try it. If it doesn't work, give me a call and I'll order you some #19s. Call before noon on Tuesday and I should have them for you by the end of the week. Are you a student at Beacon, like Weiss? We have a student discount, and we'll deliver it to you at no charge."

"Th-thanks," Blake stammered. She wasn't used to service like that.

"Glad to be of service. You're the next generation of Huntsmen after all. It's a pleasure to get you what you need." He leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Not from around here, are you?"

"No, why?"

He flexed his right hand and claws emerged. "I don't know how they treat Faunus where you're from, but here it's better than a lot of places. You don't need to hide." He glanced over at Weiss, who was browsing the magazine rack. "And if that Schnee girl gives you a hard time, or you just need someone to talk to, feel free to drop by and chat."

Blake shook her head. "Weiss knows about me. We're teammates, friends even."

He looked dubious but shrugged. "Just remember, the offer's open."

As they down the street, Blake was watching the people walking by. "Something wrong?" Weiss asked.

"He knew I was a Faunus. If he can figure it out that easily, can I really hide?"

"Well, once I knew about your ears, that bow does move sometimes. Maybe he knew what to look for?"

"Probably, he's a Faunus too."

"Oh, I didn't know." Weiss walked in silence, then, "I suppose you're both lucky, you can hide if you want to. But I wish none of you felt the need."

"Never thought I'd hear that from you."

"After... after that night on the docks, I did some objective research. You were right. Since my father took over, my family's company has engaged in discriminatory treatment of Faunus workers and a lot of shady business deals. Maybe I'm fighting the wrong battles. Maybe I should be trying harder to take over the company, undo the damage he's done. He's not even a Schnee, not really."

"Say what?"

"My father took the Schnee name when he married my mother. His real name is Gelè." Weiss turned to look at Blake. "But I'm not my father, alright? I'm... not like him. I know I still have some of the attitudes that he does about some things, but I'm working to overcome that. I want a world where you and I can be together and nobody cares. That's part of my dream, now."

"Weiss..." Blake looked into Weiss's eyes, searching for, what, exactly? She didn't know. But what she saw there made her stop. Wonder, conviction, love perhaps? Without really thinking about it, Blake bent to kiss Weiss. She felt Weiss wrap her arms around her, leaning into the kiss. When they pulled apart, Weiss was staring at her, awestruck. "Is that a yes?" Weiss whispered, barely loud enough for Blake to hear.

"Yes," Blake whispered back

"Good." Then Weiss grinned an impish grin and, before Blake could stop her, reached up and undid the of the ribbon that made up Blake's bow. "Much better," she purred.

"Weiss!" Blake exclaimed, reaching for the ribbon. Weiss just laughed and danced away, calling, "You'll have to catch me if you want it back!"

Eventually, Weiss relented and returned the ribbon, but Blake didn't put it back on. They wandered arm in arm for a while, just enjoying being together. Blake could feel Weiss's presence next to each other, but it just felt _right_ , comforting maybe. It was good to know there was one soul in the world that knew all her secrets and still cared for her anyway. Eventually, Weiss said "Follow me," in a low tone, then led Blake on a disorienting course that ended up on the steps of a brownstone apartment building. Inside, Weiss nodded at the man behind the front desk, then led Blake up the stairs to an apartment on the third floor.

"And here we are. Here Blake Belladonna and Weiss Schnee disappear and Miss Shadow and Miss Snow step out on errands."

Blake looked around. The one-room apartment held a large vanity with a lot of makeup, some of which looked theatrical, several dressers overflowing with clothes and more racks of dresses and suits. "What's all this? And why the crazy route to get here?"

"Street cameras. I've spotted some of them in the neighborhood and used some... less legitimate sources to find out where others are. And all of this," Weiss made an encompassing gesture, "is for disguises. Here I disappear and reappear as someone else, so I can't be recognized and followed. Same goes for you as well, now. You and I are about the same size, so some of this should fit you. But you'll have to have your own wardrobe here or people will get suspicious. I'll give you the door code, plus my streetcam map."

"You're trusting me with all this?"

"Partners in crime, remember? You already know enough for my father to lock me away forever, what's letting you borrow some clothes?"

"Okay. Let's do this."

Weiss turned and practically skipped away, leading Blake to think she might regret this part of things. It took less than a minute for Weiss to prove her right. The first outfit she came back with was black pantsuit with white trim. The problem was the matching purple top. "Isn't that a little low-cut?"

"If they're busy looking at your breasts, they're not looking at your face."

"Don't tell me you've ever worn this."

"Iworeapaddedbra." Weiss was blushing a magnificent shade of crimson, and Blake found herself wondering just how far down it went.

"Alright, I'll try it on. No promises." Weiss turned around, making Bake roll her eyes. "Weiss, we've been living together in the same dorm room for months. You've seen me in the shower after practice, even."

"It-it's different now."

Something clicked into place in Blake's mind, "Weiss, you've never been with anyone, have you?" 

Weiss shook her head. "There were many who were interested in me, but I declined. It would have... complicated things."

Right. The Plan (and Blake winced as she found herself mentally adding the capital letter). Let's see... There was a rustle of clothing and then, "Okay, you can turn around now."

Weiss turned around, then froze. Blake stood there in nothing but her bra and panties, arms spread wide. "Look all you want, Weiss. Some of my scars aren't metaphorical; you might as well get a good look."

Reaching out a hand, Weiss hesitated. She'd seen hints of some of Blake's scars before, but now she could see all of them. "Those... must have hurt."

"I didn't get them all at once. I spent almost three years with the White Fang. Most of these I got before I was partnered with Adam, some after. He and I were sent on some of the most high-risk missions, the most dangerous targets. We were good at what we did, but it left marks." Weiss walked slowly around Blake, mentally cataloging the scars. "And you couldn't heal these with your Aura?"

"I couldn't do anything about the ones I got before my Aura was unlocked. And some wounds scar despite all you can do with your Aura."

"I'm all too familiar with that," Weiss whispered, reaching up to touch the scar across her left eye.

"H-how did you get that?" Blake was getting goosebumps. It was _cold_ in here.

"Oh get dressed, for Dust's sake! I've seen all I need to. For now," Weiss snapped. Blake started to dress and Weiss leaned up against one of the dressers, sighing. "This one I can thank my father for. Shortly before I left for Beacon, an Arma Gigas found its way into the Schnee mansion. I fought it, and it wounded me, but I won. I couldn't heal the wound completely at the time, I was too exhausted from the fight. I thought about having a healer repair it completely, but before I got around to it, I learned that my father had arranged for the Gigas to get loose in the house as one final test before I left for Beacon. If I'd lost, he would have demanded that I attend Atlas or abandon my training completely. So I decided to leave it as-is. Now every time I look in a mirror, I'm reminded of why I'm doing all of this."

Blake paused in the middle of pulling on her top. There were very few people in this world she truly hated. Adam Taurus topped the list, but the more she learned about Weiss's father, the more Jacques Schnee looked fit to challenge him. She set that thought aside and finished putting on the rest of the pantsuit. "Damn. I can't wear my boots in this, and I don't have any other shoes. And I can't wear any of yours, you have such dainty feet."

"Fret not, my partner in crime, for I have planned ahead. A couple of days ago, I checked the size of your boots while you were in the shower. Then I bought half a dozen pairs to match. Something should fit well enough for now."

Blake settled on a pair of ankle boots, wishing she could wear her usual thigh-highs, then grinned wickedly at Weiss. "Okay, I'm good to go. Your turn for dress-up."

Weiss blushed and stepped into the clothing racks. She quickly pulled out jeans, a top, and a vest, setting them down on a cleared space on the vanity. Shrugging out of her bolero and hanging it up, Weiss looked over at Blake. "I'm just going to go with one of my usual outfits, n-nothing fancy."

Blake glanced over at the pile. "I don't think I've ever seen you in pants before."

"I don't like them. I don't like how they feel around my legs, and they get in the way when I'm fighting." 

"You just have to get a different cut of pants when you're going to be fighting in them. They need to move differently on you, after all." 

Weiss started to undo the zipper on her dress, then stopped, frowning. Ah, maybe she was feeling kind of shy? "Want me to turn around?"

Shaking her head, Weiss pulled the zipper down the rest of the way with a decisive motion, stepping out of the dress and hanging it up with the bolero. "W-Well, what do you think? I know, I'm skinny."

''You're not skinny, 'lithe' or 'toned' is the word I'd use. You're built like a professional gymnast. Which is fair, because that's pretty much what we do, except it's harder because we do it while killing Grimm." Blake gave Weiss an appraising look. "Yep, not skinny, just athletic."

"O-Okay." Blake could see Weiss's hands shaking as she dressed. Was Weiss really not used to genuine compliments? Going over the time she'd known Weiss, Blake could see the pattern. Every time someone complimented Weiss, or thanked her, she got flustered. Blake made a mental note to toss a few more compliments Weiss's way.

She watched as Weiss turned towards the vanity and began applying makeup. Instead of seeking to hide her scar, Weiss was drawing more attention to that side of her face, applying what looked to be an elaborate fake facial tattoo. "Enjoying the view?" Weiss asked as she moved on to her arms.

"Just admiring your butt. Those jeans really show it off; you should wear things like that more often."

Weiss blushed again, but this time the makeup hid a large part of it. "Now, the people we'll be paying a visit to today do and don't care about who we are. They pretend they don't know who we are, but they'll check. So you'll need an alias."

"How about Miss Shadow? That way I don't forget it."

Weiss stopped for a moment, then burst out laughing. "I'm sorry, it's just- Guess what my alias is."

"Miss Snow?" Weiss nodded, and they both lost it for a few minutes. Weiss finished up her makeup and put her hair up in a bun, then turned in place so Blake could see the full result. "How does it look?" 

Blake's mouth dropped. "W-well, I'm definitely not looking at Weiss Schnee. I wouldn't recognize you and I live with you. But I will say the lovely and decidedly dangerous-looking Miss Snow looks good enough to eat. You should wear jeans more often. But I like your hair down, not up."

As they shut the door behind them, Blake noticed something missing. "Not taking Myrtenaster? Should I leave Gambol Shroud behind?"

"Bring it if you want, but be prepared to surrender it when asked. And I am armed, just not obviously. Plus there's the hand-to-hand I've been learning from Yang. Remember, "There are no dangerous weapons-'"

"'-just dangerous people,'" they chorused together. Yang was fond of the saying and repeated it often during practice.

Weiss led the way to a nearby office building and they stepped into the elevator. Weiss waved her other scroll at the control panel, and they started going down, below the one basement the directory admitted to. The door opened onto a plain grey room, and an obviously synthetic voice said, "Welcome back, Miss Snow. Weapons, please." A small hatch that hadn't been visible before opened on one wall and Blake placed Gambol Shroud inside. She was surprised to see Weiss unwrap her belt and lay it inside the hatch as well, but Weiss slipped her a wink. Right, hidden weapons.

After passing through a biometric scanner, they stepped into a beautifully appointed wood-paneled office. The man behind the desk stood and extended his hand. "Miss Snow, how lovely to see you again. It has been some time. And who is our new visitor?"

"My apologies for taking so long to visit. Certain factors required a... change in the tempo of my operation. This is Miss Shadow. She's my new partner in the venture at hand. Starting today she will have full access to all accounts. And I do mean full access."

"Full access? Even those rights normally allowed only to the account owner?" Weiss considered for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I don't think the owner privileges will be necessary. She shouldn't need to close the account, although she will need survivor's access, in case of emergencies."

The man sat back down, obviously surprised a little. "Miss Snow, you realize that survivor's privileges only apply in the case of your confirmed, legal death? That in order to authorize Miss Shadow as such, we must acknowledge both your legal identity and hers? We pride ourselves on both the anonymity and security of our operation. This isn't a step we take lightly."

"I am aware, and I don't take this lightly either. Having her able to carry out actions without my being present gives me more options. Plus she's already pointed out one gaping flaw in my agenda: Menagerie."

"Indeed." The man's eyes flickered to Blake's cat ears for a moment, then he continued. "Since Menagerie isn't on the CCT network, it complicates things for us there. But we do have a presence in Menagerie, mostly in Kuo Kuana. Providing full access to your accounts there is difficult, but what we can do is arrange a line of credit there based on a percentage of your overall accounts. If you need more funds than that, it can be arranged, it will just take longer. Or there is the option to transfer all your accounts to Menagerie."

"Let's look into the line of credit option first. I don't foresee immediate extensive operations in Menagerie, so that should suffice."

They made several more visits that day, involving various levels of security. The last one was a rented storage unit that held a change of clothes for Weiss and a duffle bag. "This is my off-campus bug out bag; I've got one hidden on campus too. You'll need one too. This has enough clothes, food, cash, and other supplies to get me anywhere in the kingdom of Vale."

Blake grinned in amazement as Weiss detailed the contents of the bag. "I don't know why I'm still amazed at how thorough you've been with all of this; planning is really your thing. Looks like you've got everything but another Myrtenaster in there."

Weiss smiled and nodded, zipping the bag back up. "This is the last resort, if my father arrives and tries to take me back by force or I get expelled from Beacon or something. One thing I can actually thank my father is my planning skills. All those business management classes he insisted on my taking in addition to my Huntress training are going to bite him in the ass." There was a grim satisfaction in Weiss's voice as she set the bag back on its shelf.

"You should meet my father; once he warmed up to you I think he'd really like you."

Weiss froze as she reached up to pull down the roll-up door to the storage unit. "I-I think I'd like that. I'd like that very much."

When they stepped out of the building housing the storage unit, they were stopped by a small man in a business suite flanked by two large men who might as well have had 'Thug' tattooed on their forehead. "Good afternoon, ladies. Mister Catalan would like a word. He believes you have some property of his."

Weiss gave the three of them an appraising look. "Miss Shadow, do you have any idea what he's talking about?"

"None, Miss Snow. I don't believe I'm familiar with this Mister Catalan, and I certainly don't have any of his property."

"Nor do I." Weiss turned her gaze back to the one who'd done the talking. "Please inform Mister Catalan that he is misinformed. We have no connection to him or his operation, nor any desire to interfere with same."

The man shook his head. "I'm afraid that this conversation is not optional, ladies. A large quantity of Mister Catalan's property went missing, and the last place it was seen was near here. And here we have a young lady we can't identify regularly visiting this facility. So he wonders what you have to do with his missing property."

Blake made a show of looking at her nails while still keeping her eyes on the thugs. "Miss Snow, he's getting tiresome. And I'm getting hungry."

"This has gone on a bit long." Without warning, Weiss kicked the talkative one into one of the goons, making him stumble. Blake whipped out Gambol shroud as she charged the other one, knocking him into a car, then turned to see Weiss shoulder-throwing the first goon into the ground, hard. Weiss sighed and slapped the talker awake. "Now take your friends and run and tell your Mister Catalan that we don't know where his property is and that what we've got going on here is some simple embezzlement that has nothing to do with him. Further interference on his part would be unwise."

They didn't get back to the dorms until late. Ruby still up studying and glared at them both. "Where have you two been? Did you have a date or something?"

Weiss laughed. "No, we ran into each other at the port and decided to go shopping. We didn't buy anything, really, but I did introduce Blake to a new weapons shop."

"Speaking of which," Blake stopped in the middle of pulling off her boots, "Ruby, could you take a look at my weapon? I have a lot of problems with it, and I know you're a real whiz with them. Maybe you could suggest some improvements?"

"Sure." Ruby yawned. "Tomorrow after breakfast, in the workshop? I think I'm ready to call it a night."

After breakfast, Blake followed Ruby to the workshop, Weiss tagging along for no reason Ruby could see. Ruby dismantled Gambol Shroud slowly and carefully, with methodical precision, stopping to ask Blake questions along the way. (The retaining pin had been looking for yesterday was mentioned.) Two hours later, Ruby was done. "Okay, there are some things here that can definitely be improved on. Some of its just parts we can swap out, but the choice of original parts may have been limited given the, um, circumstances in which it was built. But I think a complete rebuild would do you a lot better. I take it you want it to work the same?"

"Give me the list of parts we can just swap out, then. I'll worry about the rebuild later when I have the money."

After lunch, Blake slipped away to the port. The list of parts didn't look that bad, but she wanted to get an idea of the cost. Overall she was happy with Gambol Shroud, really, but it did have some problems. The pistol action jammed more than she liked, and sometimes folding the blade back when switching to pistol mode wasn't as smooth as she'd like. Okay, the pistol portion was really a problem overall as Ruby had pointed out.

Stepping through into Bleeding Edge, Blake showed the list Ruby had given her to the shopkeeper. "Can you give me an estimate on this?"

Looking over the list, he nodded. "Can do. Some of this I have in stock, some is going to be special order. I'll include estimates on how long it will take to get the parts as well."

"Actually," a much longer list was slapped down on the counter. "How about this list? I'd like an estimate on it as well." Blake turned to see Weiss standing there smiling.

"You followed me!" 

"Obviously. I also wheedled the parts list for a full rebuild out of Ruby. I know you're tight on money, Blake. And if there's one thing my family's actually useful for, it's money. I don't mind buying you the parts." Weiss stopped for a moment, blushing. "I kind of want to. What else is a rich bitch g-g-g-"

"Girlfriend?" Blake interjected.

" _Girlfriend_ good for?" Weiss finished decisively. "And I'm not trying to buy your affections, Blake, or anything ridiculous like that. I just want you to have the best weapon you can, so you're still around on graduation day." She turned to look at the shopkeeper who was scrupulously studying Weiss's list. "So what do you think of the list?"

"Like the other list, some of this in stock, and some will be special order." He tapped one item on the list. "This, in particular, is going to be hard. They're in high demand, so supplies are scarce. I'll have to do some checking Monday morning before I can give you the estimate." He looked at the two girls with a twinkle in his eye. "So which of you gets the bill?"

Blake started to speak, but Weiss hushed her with a finger on her lips. "I do." She giggled, then put her hand over her mouth in embarrassment. "Imagining my father's reaction if he knew what his money is buying is going to have me giggling all day."

As they left, Blake said, "I'll pay you back, Weiss." 

"Nonsense. It's a gift for my g-g-girlfriend, and you don't repay gifts."


End file.
